That prayer to Jesus is inappropriate at a company party?

[Kate8889]

I went with my husband to a company Christmas party and before we started to eat a woman came to the microphone and said a short prayer in the name of Jesus as thanks/blessings for the food. Everyone was expected to bow their head.

This is the first time I've been witness to something like this, it is a secular company with many Jewish, Muslim and agnostic people. We have been going to this Christmas party for 7 years and it's never been like this.

The word "Christmas" comes from Christianity but the date has nothing to with Christianity. There were pagan festivals at that time of year to celebrate the winter solstice long before Jesus was born. Nowadays "Christmas" is often used just to signify the time of year, and very few Christmas parties or events refer to Jesus at all (church services and school nativity plays excepted!)

In an openly Christian organisation a prayer to Jesus would of course be fine, but otherwise I as a non-Christian would find it alienating. It implies that non-Christian employees are less important outsiders. I’d be very surprised if an HR department approved it.

Oh I also think the prayer at work is not really Ok- you risk singling out anyone that didn’t partake. Work should be non denominational unless you work for CoE or a synagogue or something. The latter probably not going big on Christmas…

No it isn't. It is a celebation of christmas. For some that is about jesus, but for very many it has nothing to do with religion at all.

Is she new to the company?

Was the prayer officially sanctioned? Are the management religious? Or was it some half drunk person let loose near a mike?
A private company with a manager who wants a prayer before a meal, you'll have to suck it up. Loose cannon prayer is worth complaining about.

I suspect the person asked to 'say a few words' was a practising Christian and just said what they would say before a meal, particularly at Christmas. Someone else would have offended with innuendo about staff members or bored everyone with the a detailed assessment of the sales figures for the year.

Because most people in this country who celebrate Christmas aren't Christians, or in name only.

That is weird. I'm presuming she just said she wanted to say a few words, they handed her the mic and she went for it. Rather than it being an ingrained part of company culture.

If they are having this then they should make a point of asking people who follow other faiths if they want to say something or do something religious relating to mealtimes.

It should be all or nothing. Or it could seem discriminatory.

The festival may be dedicated to him for some people, but was hijacked from pagans, who are celerating their own ways. As are the millions of people who are of different faiths, or none who celebrate the cultural festival. Nothing to do with Jesus for many.

It's a Christmas Party. If you don't want CHRIST mentioned go to a Winter Celebration or Festive Season gathering or whatever.

If there was a work Eid celebration you'd expect Muslim references. If you went to an International Men's Day work event you'd expect men mentioned and not women. Same here.

At the current climate, especially with what is happening in the US, it sounds as highly political and indeed offending move.

Christmas are old winter festival appropriated by Christian church, so the connection to Jesus is a kind of colonial at best anyway.

Unaware that the god of judaism (sic) is the same as the god of christianism?

If this happened at an American Company Party I would not be surprised at all. Many Americans give thanks before a meal, until about 1970s many used to say a Grace in a public restaurant.
That was their tradition, it has changed.

It's a CHRISTMAS party. Of course it's OK. Many posters on MN will disagree of course, and give a dozen vapid and hollow reasons why........ 🙄

Why are people so eager to be offended or find something to complain about?

Bet the OP was a bundle of laughs at the party. NOT

I'm not Christian and I wouldn't and don't find it alienating, or think that people consider me some kind of lesser mortal, just because someone wanted to say a wee prayer.

Exactly!

People get sticks up their arses about the most nonsense things.

40andlovelife · Today 12:11

But a Christmas party is esssntially a celebration of the birth of Jesus
No it's not.

The use of the term 'Christmas Party' can be a source of confusion. I think rebranding as a 'Yuletide Party' might be sensible and give everyone a chance to celebrate together the dark mystery of the season, without feeling excluded by not belonging to the 'right' religion.

Even at a Christmas do? If it were a work Eid or Diwali do, would you expect all faiths to be invited to say or do something?

I do recognise that Christmas has a dual nature (Christian/secular) that the others don’t. But I think that’s satisfied by making clear no one is expected to participate in prayer. Just staying silent is fairly standard protocol. I’m an atheist and have stayed silent through many religious bits and pieces: I’ve never felt I should be invited to give them my views on god to balance it out a bit.

Because not everyone who celebrates Christmas is a Christian.

Saying "Grace" is quite common at events, although most are made with a secular tone.

You really think that bowing your head and listening to a prayer for a minute at Christmas time is alienating?

I'm a lapsed Catholic and just listen politely when with family, it's not hard.

You do understand what Christmas is, right?